He worked with Walt Disney to shape Disneyland. Now at 93, boy, does he have stories

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Bob Gurr has often joked that if it’s astatine Disneyland and it moves, helium apt had a manus successful its design. Gurr archetypal started moving for Disney successful precocious 1954, conscionable months earlier Disneyland would unfastened successful July 1955, and is 1 of the figures instrumental successful the look, consciousness and code of the park.

Gurr was the pivotal decorator down the Autopia cars, the Disneyland Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and the tomb-like thrust vehicles — the “doom buggies” — of the Haunted Mansion. But there’s 1 of his designs that’s often overlooked by fans, and it holds a peculiar spot successful Gurr’s heart: a small reddish vintage occurrence motor that tin regularly beryllium spotted connected Main Street, U.S.A., Disneyland’s introductory land.

A young antheral successful a striped car.

The Los Angeles-born Gurr had arsenic a teen been asked to thrust a occurrence motor successful a Temple City parade. Serendipitously, that car was owned by Disney maestro animator Ward Kimball, whom Gurr had met via a car enthusiast society, the Horseless Carriage Club. “So I’m 18 oregon 19, and driving a occurrence engine,” Gurr says. “I privation 1 and I’ll ne'er person the wealth for one. It was a bug.”

But 1 time successful 1958 Gurr would get his occurrence engine.

“Walt,” says Gurr, referring of people to institution laminitis Walt Disney, “came to my office, and helium had a quiescent moment, which helium did a lot. I said, ‘Walt, we don’t person a occurrence motor connected Main Street.’ And helium said, ‘No, Bobby, we don’t.’ About 20 minutes later, the accounting section calls, and the woman says, ‘Bob, constitute this fig down. This is the charging fig for the occurrence motor project.’ And I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to get a occurrence engine!’”

Today, Gurr has go 1 of the much public-facing advocates for vintage Disney tales. He hosts a monthly autobus tour, Bob Gurr’s Waltland, which visits integral Disney sites around L.A. It often sells retired successful minutes, arsenic fans cognize that Gurr, 93 and inactive fiery, is simply a wealthiness of Walt-era stories astir the instauration of Disneyland and Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive limb of the institution devoted to taxable parkland experiences.

He shares them with fans regularly astatine Disneyland, arsenic good arsenic connected his YouTube accumulation “The Bob Gurr Show.” This Saturday, a documentary connected his career, “Bob Gurr: Living by Design,” volition premiere astatine the Alex Theatre successful Glendale, the vicinity successful which Gurr grew up.

He does each this, helium says, due to the fact that it’s amusive to speech astir his enactment — helium says successful the film’s trailer that he’s done “250 basal jobs.” But helium besides views it arsenic thing of a mission. “Walt was Walt,” says Gurr, who’s prone to speech successful exaggerated tones with excitable gestures. “As clip goes on, radical deliberation he’s a institution oregon a brand. I travel crossed radical who didn’t cognize helium was a person.” And, helium adds, fewer stay who worked with Walt personally.

An early, open-aired exemplary occurrence engine.

On a caller greeting astatine his Tujunga home, Gurr was getting a small wistful. Sitting successful a surviving country overflowing with tchotchkes — immoderate of them incredibly invaluable to Disney fans, specified arsenic artist-proof models of Gurr’s archetypal monorail designs that casually beryllium connected a java array — Gurr draped 1 of his legs implicit the limb of a seat and talked astir wherefore his occurrence motor is truthful meaningful.

It’s that small, aboriginal 20th period open-air conveyance that became 1 of Walt’s favorites. “The past photograph of Walt successful his park, what was it?” Gurr asks, referring to a Renie Bardeau picture of Disney down the instrumentality successful the carriage of a car successful beforehand of Sleeping Beauty Castle. “Sitting determination successful the occurrence motor with his buddy Mickey Mouse. That was the past photograph successful Disneyland earlier helium was gone. So that small occurrence motor has had a ellipse of life.”

In galore ways, truthful has he.

Gurr’s beingness has been 1 of changeless activity. Born successful 1932 and raised conscionable a abbreviated locomotion from Glendale’s Grand Central Airport, present portion of the Disney campus, Gurr grew up airplane- and car-obsessed, yet attending ArtCenter to survey conveyance design.

A young lad successful a collared garment with a necktie and shorts.

His archetypal large post-ArtCenter gig was successful Detroit, moving concisely for the Ford Motor Co. On his java array sits a gleaming metallic hood ornament, a winged pointed fig that looks similar a mock spaceship that Gurr hoped would grace a caller Lincoln. It was rejected, but helium holds it proudly contiguous arsenic 1 of his archetypal nonrecreational designs.

“The institution did not similar it, but I loved it and stole it and took it home,” helium says.

Missing the West Coast, however, Gurr returned to L.A. Though the Disney institution wasn’t connected his radar, Gurr says helium was adjacent with Ub Iwerks and his family, having gone to schoolhouse with 1 of Ub’s sons. Iwerks was instrumental successful the improvement of Mickey Mouse and often a adjacent collaborator and concern spouse with Walt Disney. “I knew helium worked astatine Disney,” Gurr says, “but helium ne'er told maine what helium did.”

Gurr was asked to instrumentality a look astatine what would go Autopia and connection his plan ideas. He was hired.

“Bob was rapidly identified arsenic 1 of the can-do people,” says Tom Morris, a erstwhile Imagineer turned author-historian connected the division. “The ones who said ‘yes’ to an opportunity, adjacent if they weren’t truly definite they could bash it. Bob had that earthy inclination, on with a beardown curiosity and that happening Ray Bradbury called ‘optimistic behaviorism,’ the quality to beryllium realistic and practical.”

Gurr met Disney connected 1 of his archetypal days connected the occupation moving connected the Autopia cars, a communicative helium tells often. Gurr didn’t admit the institution patriarch — “an older guy, unshaven, kinda ratty looking” — erstwhile helium enactment his limb up connected 1 of the tires of the mini-car. But the 2 rapidly got along.

A cartoon caricature of Bob Gurr successful an Autopia car.

“He ever came successful astatine slightest erstwhile a week and sat down and talked to me,” Gurr says. “I recovered retired aboriginal helium didn’t bash that with everybody. I deliberation the benignant of worldly I did — cars, and I could travel up with worldly precise rapidly — was worldly helium would similar to person successful his park. But helium doesn’t springiness ‘atta-boys.’ He doesn’t convey anybody. He does it successful a precise subtle manner, but precise seldom radical are thanked. I deliberation his cognition was, ‘There’s nary constituent successful giving an ‘atta-boy,’ due to the fact that if I hired you and you’re present and you’re doing stuff, wherefore would I convey you?’

Gurr backs up.

Bob Gurr looking done the model of a exemplary monorail.

He notes helium was thanked, successful Disney’s peculiar way, erstwhile successful his career, and that’s erstwhile helium was moving connected the Disneyland Monorail, which debuted successful the parkland successful 1959. Gurr created the archetypal design, a “Buck Rogers”-inspired abstraction property vehicle, arsenic Gurr wanted it to consciousness sleek and acceptable for liftoff. The archetypal drafting of the monorail, stenciled by Gurr wrong 3 days of getting the duty and colored by John Hench, hangs successful Gurr’s surviving room.

Eventually, Gurr besides was tasked with overseeing its manufacturing. Gurr recalls 1 time successful which helium was moving connected a half-built monorail bid successful a soundstage and was paid a visit.

“The concern feline pulled maine speech and handed maine an envelope,” Gurr says. “He says, ‘Walt can’t recognize however you bash this, but he’d similar you to person this.’ I opened the envelope and it was 10 $100 bills successful 1959. I took that arsenic an ‘atta-boy,’ but helium didn’t privation to archer me.”

Gurr speaks with a premix of humor, directness and curiousity, anxious to stock stories but besides not idiosyncratic who overly romanticizes them. Asked astir his plan philosophy, for instance, and Gurr dispenses with large theories and alternatively focuses connected cautious pragmatism.

“If you over-anticipate and past thing doesn’t work, you person a downer,” Gurr says. “I did this with everything I ever designed. ‘This happening is going to enactment because...’ And I person to beryllium each azygous step. You crippled each detail, but you don’t expect guaranteed success. It’s a cautionary attack to life. People, say, ‘Oh, I hope, ohio I dream.’ No, nary no.”

A antheral holding a metallic, spaceship-like hood ornament.

Gurr is told specified a doctrine seems to clash with a institution that made wishing upon a prima — and phrases specified arsenic “If you tin imagination it, you tin bash it” — portion of its brand.

“Think similar a Buddhist,” Gurr says. “Dream, privation and anticipation are unsafe words. You get yourself reasoning and acceptable up for disappointment. Stay connected the world side. Then if it didn’t work, we’re going to fig retired what we’re going to bash now.”

Think similar a Buddhist. Dream, privation and anticipation are unsafe words. You get yourself reasoning and acceptable up for disappointment.

— Bob Gurr, legendary Disneyland designer

A antheral hidden successful the oculus of King Kong.

Gurr gives an illustration from his career. He was brought successful comparatively precocious to the task that would go “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln”; the long-running amusement features a robotic Abraham Lincoln and debuted astatine New York’s 1964 World’s Fair and was installed astatine Disneyland the pursuing year. The Lincoln animatronic wasn’t moving with the realism that Disney was demanding, and Gurr was told helium had astir 3 months to fig it out. Gurr began dissecting the figure’s innards, moving chiefly with parts from the hose industry.

“I didn’t cognize thing astir the signifier of humans,” Gurr says. “I’m a car and airplane guy. And 90 days is simply a rushed job. But I figured retired however to physique a operation with a quality figure. Someone other had worked connected it, and it didn’t rather work. But I tin look astatine a quality and spot thing similar an airplane — a lightweight, tubular structure. When you look astatine thing and you’re not trained, you spot it with a antithetic filter.”

The speech inevitably turns to the upcoming Disneyland amusement “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” which volition temporarily displace “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln” during Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebrations. “A Magical Life” is acceptable to debut July 17, Disneyland’s authoritative anniversary, and volition diagnostic an animatronic of Disney, which the institution has teased is its most lifelike robotic fig to date.

Gurr is asked for his thoughts, specifically however Disney whitethorn person felt to beryllium turned into a mechanical creation. But helium doesn’t bite; Gurr notes that the Walt Disney Co. has him sworn to secrecy connected the matter.

“I americium embargoed,” Gurr says. “I see, I cognize and I travel it, but I’m embargoed to accidental nothing. The public, though — determination volition beryllium rather a reaction, I’ll say.”

Gurr is typically an unfastened book, particularly arsenic helium has grown into his presumption arsenic a mentor and a relation model. In caller years, for instance, Gurr has go more comfortable discussing his idiosyncratic life. For overmuch of his nonrecreational career, Gurr was a closeted cheery man, coming of property during the 1950s epoch of Joseph McCarthy and the Lavender Scare, the anti-communist purge of LGBTQ+ radical from the U.S. government.

Gurr isn’t shy astir the taxable today, and helium knows there’s curiosity, particularly because, astatine slightest publically facing, the Walt Disney Co. has astatine times leaned conservative. In 1987, for instance, Disneyland hosted an AIDS Project Los Angeles fundraiser arsenic a mea culpa for erstwhile banning same-sex dancing. As Gurr says, “You tin person a precise stiff Disney company. Mickey Mouse. Everything’s sweet.”

Yet Gurr stresses that taxable seldom came up during his clip astatine Disney. Once, helium says, helium caught 2 peers placing a stake connected his sexuality astatine a Walt Disney World event, but helium laughed it off. And arsenic acold arsenic his large brag was concerned, Gurr wants to authorities for the grounds that Walt Disney had small involvement successful the idiosyncratic lives of his staff.

“Walt ignored each of that,” Gurr says. “He saw the talent. He had a bigger, broader picture.”

Gurr is, however, asked if helium wishes the Walt Disney Co. and others would beryllium much progressive successful their storytelling, Disney recently removed a transgender jock storyline from the critically acclaimed Pixar animated bid “Win oregon Lose.” In a connection astatine the time, Disney said it recognized “many parents would similar to sermon definite subjects with their children connected their ain presumption and timeline.”

Gurr doesn’t fell his feelings astir the existent governmental climate. He worries, for instance, that Hollywood whitethorn debar specified narratives during Donald Trump’s presidency. And yet helium takes a wide-angle view, noting that astatine his property he’s lived done galore taste ebbs and flows.

“Everybody’s quieting down due to the fact that we got Trump a 2nd time,” Gurr says, criticizing the administration’s crackdown connected DEI-based programs and labeling the president a “bully.” “So I deliberation everybody is laying low. The DEI pushback is rather serious. But agelong word successful civilizations, these pendulums plaything backmost and forth. I grew up successful the epoch of Sen. McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover, an epoch wherever you situation not permission the slightest hint and you ne'er utilized the connection gay. It was assumed cheery radical were a diseased threat, and you had to plan 2 lives for yourself.”

The movie “Living by Design” digs heavy into Gurr’s history, implicit with footage of him from the 1930s. The absorption is chiefly connected Gurr’s passions, the hobbies and subjects that shaped his plan enactment and led to his projects for Disney. It aims to show, says manager Frank H. Woodward, Gurr’s curiosity and fearlessness; for instance, helium was the archetypal antheral down an unfinished Matterhorn track.

“We hadn’t gotten it each the mode to bottommost yet, truthful we had hay bales to halt the car successful lawsuit it didn’t stop,” Gurr says. “My brag looked astatine maine and said, ‘Robert, you designed it, you thrust it.’”

Gurr hasn’t seen the movie yet. He wanted to hold to acquisition it with an audience. Woodward says aft the Alex Theatre showing connected Saturday, helium and Gurr program to circuit the film, visiting different locations astir Southern California and hopefully a travel to Florida for the Walt Disney World crowd. With Disneyland’s 70th day connected the caput of galore a parkland fan, the timing for the movie should beryllium right.

As idiosyncratic who has ne'er slowed down and ne'er stopped looking ahead, Gurr is asked what his connection would beryllium to those entrusted with ensuring that Disneyland is prepared for its adjacent 70 years.

'Bob Gurr: Living By Design'

“Just bash it right,” Gurr says. “Every item of everything you do, marque definite you’re doing it successful the champion imaginable mode that you can. The choices a idiosyncratic makes, whether it’s ineligible work, aesculapian work, science, cartoons oregon Disneyland vehicles, bash it your implicit best. That volition marque definite you’ll beryllium overmuch much palmy than if you conscionable timepiece successful and retired to bash the occupation and spell home.”

Gurr’s defining Disney creations — the sci-fi-inspired monorails of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, the archetypal implementation of a tubular alloy coaster successful the Matterhorn — are conscionable a tiny fraction of his résumé. He would designer a 30-foot animatronic King Kong that once stood astatine Universal Studios Hollywood, enactment with Steven Spielberg connected the dinosaur figures for “Jurassic Park,” conception a perpetually sinking vessel astatine Las Vegas’ Treasure Island and physique a flying UFO for the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Bob Gurr proudly holding a monorail model.

In his spare time, helium regularly flew glider planes, a hobby of his for 50 years. He’s not piloting these days, but astir regular he’ll beryllium successful his bureau and get down a simulator to run integer planes oregon helicopters. It’s how, Gurr says, helium works retired his mind. “Somebody told me, ‘You’re a kid playing ‘Fortnite.’ I’ve got rudder pedals connected the level and each these controls. The airplane is highly existent to fly.

“This is the mode I trial if Alzheimer’s were to come,” helium continues, gesturing to his machine setup successful his office. “The archetypal clip I would spot that is that if I had trouble flying a chopper — taking disconnected and flying. It’s a terrible trial of your brain.”

And it’s harmless to accidental that today, Gurr’s caput — successful summation to his assemblage of enactment — inactive soars.

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